(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to isoprenoid degrading Pseudomonas strains including plasmid pSRQ50 which encodes for the degradation. In particular, the present invention relates to Pseudomonas putida strains containing plasmid pSRQ50 and to an improved degradation method using such strains.
(2) Prior Art
The prior art has described various Pseudomonas strains which degrade aliphatic and aromatic compounds. In some instances the degradation is encoded by genes on a chromosome and in other instances by genes on a plasmid. Examples of such Pseudomonas strains are described by Chakrabarty et al. Proc Nat Acad Science USA 70 No. 4 1137-40 (1973); Bensen et al., J. of Bacteriology 126 794-798, (1976); Pemberton et al., Nature 268 732-733, (1977). Bensen et al., J. of Bacteriology 132 614-621, (1977) and Vandenbergh et al, Applied and Environmental Microbiology 42, 737-739, (1981).
The prior art has also described Pseudomonas citronellolis for degrading isoprenoids, particularly Seubert W. in J. Bacteriology 79 426-434 (1960) and Cantwell et al. in J. Bacteriology 135 324-333, (1978). Pseudomonas citronellolis ATCC 13674 was surveyed for its extrachromosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) content, following the procedure of Hansen and Olsen, Nature (London) 274: 715-717 (1978). P. citronellolis ATCC 13674 was observed to contain no resident plasmids. The problem with ATCC 13674 is that it has been found to be quite slow in utilizing citronellol as a sole carbon source. The carbohydrates arabinose and melibiose are not metabolized to produce acid which are also distinguishing characteristics.